


in ink or in blood, it's the same either way

by sarsroses



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone is Trans, Modern Era, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, after the first hopefully it'll be a ship per chapter plus other shenanigans and plot, basically smashing everyone together, because I have a thing for the whole 'who is it' suspense apparently, literally if you think of more ships tell me and I can probably do it, thats just how it is, this is going to be one massive mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-16 19:02:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13642530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarsroses/pseuds/sarsroses
Summary: The Newsies move into the same apartment complex with the hopes of starting a new life, finding their soulmate and getting through the year in one piece.





	1. the crime of hoarding good coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m having to move out soon and am scared shitless so im writing about it wish me fucking luck people im gonna need it

Jack Kelly lived in a world where every mark he made on his skin turned up on a soulmate’s. Some stranger wore his paint stained hands to work, to school, to social events. One, or in his case two people in millions had his shopping list scribbled on their hand when he was too lazy to find paper. He gave them bruises when he fell, or got into fights alongside his brother.

They gave him marks too. Elegant scrawl in what he quickly discovered to be Yiddish, and small doodles of hearts and smiley faces. He loved every time his soulmates made come kind of contact and fretted to no end when familiar purple bruises appeared.

One soulmate gave him patches - scars, on his leg. Big angry scars across his thigh patterning down his leg to his shin. Botchy patterns of purple flowering over the red. They appeared when the smiley faces and hearts first did.

They scared the shit out of him.

His soulmates doodles, smiley faces and hearts comforted him though. Whatever happened, whatever these scars were, they were happy - they were okay.

Jack had only briefly spoken with his soulmates. Once, when the first appeared on his 16th birthday. He had exchanged excitable words with the elegant cursive. To Jack’s disappointment, his soulmate didn’t want to derive from tradition and refused to give away any information that might disclose his identity. Still, they spoke about simple things, coffee or tea, hobbies and interests.

Then the third appeared, and when elegant cursive and bubbly writing appeared at the same time, Jack didn’t know what to do with himself. He was shocked, nervous, confused, and finally overjoyed. He fully embraced the third piece of the puzzle, and when he discovered the scars on his leg, he embraced those too (after the immediate panic over his soulmate’s safety).

He loved his soulmates, the little things they told him were enough to fuel countless paintings and inspire multiple daydreams and stories in his head.

Now he was just waiting. As per an old tradition, people arranged to meet their soulmate when the youngest of them turned eighteen. That was in two months.

Most others he knew didn’t abide by their parent’s traditions. Some ask for contact details immediately and meet them as soon as possible. Most let life take it’s course, and meet them when they’re ‘destined’ to. Some despised the soulmate system and refused to interact with their soulmate, like his foster brother Spot.

Jack had listened to Spot passionately argue about how he should be able to decide destiny for himself. How the asshole he had been paired with may be perfect for him, but he should be able to decide that for himself.

Jack witnessed his brother’s soulmate get impatient. He knew they argued, in a way Jack hoped was friendly, but was too scared to ask. Some days, particularly in recent years as Spot grew older, he woke to ‘huge dickhead’ written on his neck or even better, forehead. Spot was forced to stay home from work when it started.

Apparently death threats were enough to calm his soulmate, as when it happened these days, it never stayed for long.

Now, Jack was nineteen and Spot twenty. While Medda was a wonderful mother to them both, they had decided it was time to let her worry about herself rather than her two troublesome sons. They were moving to a small apartment complex near Jack’s university where he was to commence his fine arts studies. 

Spot had found a job in the area, and cheap accomodation in the same building. Unfortunately, cheap accomodation came with flatmates, and Spot was prepared to scare the living daylights out of them to get his fair share of space.

He unlocked the door to apartment number one, and peered inside. To his right was the kitchen, and inside a dusty blond boy leaning against his crutches. He turned to see Spot, and his eyes lit up.

“Sean, right?” He put down his mug of what looked to be hot chocolate and made his way over to shake Sean’s hand.

Spot took it. “Call me Spot. You’re Charlie?”

“Crutchie.” Spot raised an eyebrow and Crutchie shrugged. “The insult sounded cool, so I took it. Spot?”

“My soulmate tends to get freckles.” Spot muttered. “And circle them.” Crutchie would have snorted is he hadn’t sensed the bitter distaste in his flatmate’s voice.

Crutchie just nodded, a topic for later, he assumed. “I took the room next to the kitchen, feel free to take whichever of the other three you like. Have a mattress?”

“Uh, no, no I think I’m going shopping with Jack later, my brother, he’s just upstairs.” Spot explained. He decided he liked Crutchie. He was nice enough, but a strong character, it seemed.

Crutchie went back to his hot chocolate. “Which room?”

“Four.”

Crutchie gritted his teeth and gave a forced smile. “Damn bad luck.” Spot gave him a look. “That’s where the Delancey’s are staying. We had some trouble with them last night, smashed a window or something.”

Spot shrugged. “Jack can handle himself.” He said. He took to exploring the apartment, eventually putting his things down in the room furthest down the small hallway. By the time he was done, he found Crutchie on his laptop in the small living room.

They organised what furniture Spot could contribute to the apartment, settling on a table and seat for himself - a cheap fridge if he could afford it, Crutchie’s wouldn’t hold out for long.

Spot made his way up the stairs of the building and to the second floor. A redhead woman pushed past him with a huff, but as soon as she passed she spun around again.

“Are you Spot? I just met your brother. I’m Katherine, I'm managing the building for the year. How is your apartment?” She spoke hurriedly, trying to brush back her windswept hair. She shifted the binders she was holding to one arm and shook his hand.

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine.” Sean replied and she nodded.

“And your flatmate? No qualms there?” Spot shook his head.

As Katherine opened her mouth to speak again, yelling erupted from one of the rooms up the stairway. Jack’s voice boomed in response followed by another backing him up. Instead of speaking she sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Your brother has some troublesome flatmates.” He tutted. “And I can’t evict them since my father specifically gave them place here. Well, unless they break anything else, but even then . . .” She shook her head. 

“Okay, house rules. No yelling.” She said pointedly, glaring at room four. “No hate speech or intolerance. Treat your apartment with as much care is reasonable. Pay your rent on time.” She paused to think. “Oh and no parties unless I give explicit permission. And even then, you’ve got to invite me.” She said with a smirk. “No smoking indoors, nothing illegal, obviously. You get the gist.”

Spot nodded. “Straight forward.”

Katherine smiled. “Good. See you later, Spot.”

She ran down the stairs just as a car pulled up in the driveway. She made her way over to greet Specs and Blink, check up on all their papers, run over house rules and finally introduce herself.

“Alright! So number three is gender inclusive.” She explained to Specs, “So that’s yours. Your flatmates are Sarah and David, they’ll be getting here this afternoon aaannndd Mush should already be up there.” She turned to Blink. “And you’re in flat five, top floor. Your roommates are arriving next weekend as are mine.” She gave a smile. “You’ve got a full week to yourself, treasure it.”

Katherine began walking back, but stopped herself and turned around again. “You got your keys from my father, right?” The boys nodded, Specs fighting off a smirk. Katherine had warned him about her father of the phone, particularly in regards to their gender. “Great, sorry about him. No family resemblance, I promise. Oh, and the flat across the hall from yours is a mess, sorry about that. Ignore them and if it gets too much let me know.”

The rest of the day was chaotic, but Katherine held it together. Six tenants had settled themselves in the day previous, including herself. Crutchie had come respectfully early with all his things sorted and ready, Mush arriving not long afterwards and Albert two hours late. The Delanceys appeared while she was eating dinner, and made one hell of a night.

Now, Spot, Jack, Specs, Blink, Sarah and Davey were settled in their respective apartments. 

David went around to the other apartments with cookies Sarah had made. His protests were met with threats until he had no choice but to distribute the baked goods. Blink took three too many ‘for his non existent flatmates’, Katherine graciously accepted the chocolate chip goodness and sent her compliments to Sarah, who definitely did not blush at the mention of her name. Crutchie took one for himself, and one for Spot - though David was sure he’d eaten both himself.

He’d saved the rowdy apartment for last, fully expecting whoever it was to laugh in his face at the offer. Or even worse take the entire container. Instead, he was greeted by a tall man with dark brown eyes and a wide smile.

David had forgotten how to speak at the sight of him. His mouth went dry as he gaped.

“The name’s Jack Kelly. I’m assuming youse one of our neighbours?” Jack smirked, and David swallowed down his panic.

“Yeah. Uh, David. David Jacobs. I’m just in three.” He pointed behind him at the old door of his flat.

“Nice to meet ya, Davey. I apologise for the ruckus of my flatmates. Speakin’ of, they’re out right now, want to come in?” He opened the door wide enough for David to see inside. The mess of the apartment was one many would think impossible on the first day.

“No, no I’m fine. My sister made cookies, she wanted me to hand them out. Said it’d force me to introduce myself to everyone.”

At the mention of food, another boy emerged from behind Jack, gave a small wave and took a cookie without so much as a word.

“Albert, hi.” He said with his mouth full, before moving back into the apartment. He ran back on second thought. “Do any of your flatmates have a coffee machine? I can only drink so much instant.”

David shook his head as Jack took a cookie of his own. Jack turned to Albert. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Spot did, but you’d have to wrestle him for it.”

Albert cocked his head back. “I can do that. Spot’s the short brawny kid downstairs? I should introduce myself. ‘Scuse me fellas.” He said, jumping down the staircase two steps at a time.

Jack and David laughed, and David swore Jack’s chuckle made his heart stop in his chest. David excused himself as a blush began to rise, and Jack went down to help what seemed to be an argument downstairs.

Katherine had allowed herself time collapse into her couch. She closed her eyes and relaxed. 

Then came a knock, and she groaned as she got up on her feet and dragged them to the door.

“What?” She asked flatly when she found Blink stood on the other side.

He didn’t hesitate to leap into a full explanation. “So the cafe down the road is expensive as all hell. Al went down to introduce himself to Spot and he has a fuckin’ expensive ass coffee machine.” He said, as if Katherine should care.

“And?”

“And he’s hoarding it so there’s a full on brawl downstairs.”

“Great.” She rolled her eyes. “If the Delancey’s aren’t involved I’m too tired to break it up.” If this was going to be her year, she didn’t know if she could last.

“Cool, just tha’ Jack kicked Spot’s nose in, ‘an Al hit his head so I was wondering if you had any detergent to clear up the blood.” Katherine just gave him a blank stare.

“Oh an’ Mush is holding a slumber party, with your permission, ‘course.”

Yep, this year was going to be hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed it!
> 
> I've never written something and immediately posted it without obsessively fretting over every detail, so sorry about the quality. This will be a very relaxed fic as I'm sure moving will give me lots of inspiration but also take up all of my time.
> 
> This is the least angsty thing I've ever plotted, lets see how long that lasts.


	2. Naughts and Crosses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katherine prepares a party but Mush and Blink are not much help. Sarah is.

The week progressed with minimal incidents. Spot gave Crutchie full access to his coffee machine just to spite Albert and his brother, Specs’ cheap mattress was impossible to sleep on and they ended up squeezing in with Mush while they waited for delivery of another.

Jack and Albert took rotations sleeping in their apartment and Crutchie's, much to Spot's annoyance; Katherine had made a deal with them while they were waiting for people to fill the rooms, and made sure the Delanceys didn't have the apartment all to themselves, fearing the damage it would cause to the place. She bargained her own coffee machine for a week.

Tuesday brought Mush to Katherine’s front door with an invitation.

“So I was hoping you could legalise my party.”

She took the pamphlet and scanned over it. A badly drawn teacup with a syringe filled with yellow liquid sat beside it. In big letters above, he had written ’T Party’.

“I won’t be spiking the tea with testosterone, just to be clear.” Mush explained. “I think any more and Spot would explode. But, it’ll be my first day on it and I couldn’t pass up the pun, or at least Blink couldn’t.”

Katherine practically leapt for joy. “Of course you can, oh my god I’m so excited!” She pulled Mush into a hug.

When she let go she started rambling at lightning speed, her hands waving around excitably. “What tea do you have? You need a good selection, I think I could get some from home . . . How many people are coming? What about decorations? Are you going for trans colours? Blink mentioned a slumber party, are we sleeping over?”

Mush just blinked, wide eyed. “Uhh . . .”

She took him by the arms and looked him dead in the eyes. “Can I plan? Please can I plan?”

“Ask Blink, he’s just as excited as you are, I’m just rolling with it.” He said, and just as he finished speaking, Katherine disappeared and was running up the stairwell to Blink’s apartment.

Wednesday had Katherine baking shortbread cookies. She and Blink had gotten overly excited about the upcoming party, and had every detail planned and ready. The small population of the apartment building, including the arrivals on Saturday were invited (minus the Delanceys) as per Mush's request. It was to be kept relatively humble, it was a tea party after all, but they had added in a few twists to keep it interesting. It ended up not being a slumber party as described, though people were encouraged to come in their pyjamas. It turned out Blink had just invited himself to stay over with Mush for the night to gossip about the upcoming semester.

As Katherine stood in the supermarket entrance, Blink and Mush went off to buy decorations together. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Blink leave with an arm around his friends shoulders. She couldn't figure out whether he liked planning parties, or just really liked Mush. Either way, they were a cute team.

She jumped back into action, and grabbed her pen as she walked down the isle of baking goods. She took her phone and wrote down the ingredients to the first recipe she found. She used her hand for lack of paper, and her love of being able to tick or scribble items from lists.

She wrote, minding the faded writing her soulmate had left - a fancy, cursive 'ask Les maths'.

_Caster sugar_

_Plain flour_

_Corn flour_

_Butter_

She scanned the shelves for the corn flour while placing a bag of plain flour in her basket. She checked her hand for the next ingredient, only to find something new written.

_This looks like shortbread?_

Annotations to Katherine's list appeared slowly. Corn flower was scribbled out, followed by a note on the side.

_What happened to wheat?_

Her soulmate also added 'vanilla extract' to the list.

_Adds a strength of flavour_

Katherine smiled, and amended her basket accordingly. This sort of commentary happened often, and ended up being the main reason Katherine ever so subtly broadcasted her cooking adventures. In return, she often helped her soulmate organise.

_Did you ask Les about maths?_

_Oh shit_

She hadn’t met her soulmate yet. She didn’t even know their gender, their name or age, but for now they were content with their short, helpful interactions. ‘Les’ was mentioned in her soulmate’s notes often, and Katherine soon figured he was a sibling or good friend. She knew her soulmate cared for them a lot. She waited with respectful anticipation to one day, maybe, be cared for just as dearly.

Katherine swung her shopping bag in her hands as she walked back. She unpacked her groceries and flexed her hands out in front of her to prepare to cook.

She praised the heavens she had the kitchen to herself. Especially since she was going to prepare enough food for twelve boys with bottomless pits for stomachs, five girls and one non binary Specs with just as much of an appetite.

Even so, Jack sat on her couch. She wasn’t sure when she had invited him in, but ignored the intrusion to focus on more important things. He rambled about his soulmates, but she was hardly listening, distracted by thinking of her own.

“So I draw portraits of people I see down the street, right? Just small on my arm. If they were close by, surely they’d recognise one of the people I’ve drawn.”

Katherine nodded and agreed with him without really paying attention. She smacked his hand away when he made a grab for her cookies and shooed him out the door.

The party was coming together nicely. Blink and Mush had agreed to make a tea cake themselves, although she was sure they would have to go without when she witnessed Mush stride down the stairwell with flour in his hair. She called out to him and he turned to reveal a face covered in the white powder.

“Teacake is hard.” He stated simply.

At that moment, Sarah emerged from their apartment, blocking the entrance.

“It’s impossible to fail at teacake.” She smiled knowingly. “That’s a lame excuse.”

Mush’s cheeks reddened slightly. He looked away. “I threw flour at Blink and he tipped the bowl on my head.” He touched his hair, bringing away an eggshell, as if to prove his point.

Sarah grimaced. “If I see a single trace of eggshell in the apartment and I won’t offer to make your cake.”

Mush’s eyes lit up and he jumped on Sarah, covering her in flour and raw egg while thanking her over and over again. As soon as he let go she shooed him off to clean up and glanced down at Katherine who stood on the lower floor chucking behind her hand.

“Is it really that hard to fail at making teacake?” Katherine asked. Sarah lent on the railing of the staircase.

“You’d have to be actively trying to fail, though I bet my soulmate would manage.” Katherine saw the softest smile at the mention of her soulmate, her tone fond. Lucky bastard they were.

“Maybe I could help you?” Katherine tried, having to swallow down her nerves.

Sarah gave a curt nod. “I’d like that.”

Once clean and reasonably dry, Mush flopped down onto his shared mattress and closed his eyes. Specs was at practice, so he could spread out. He dozed off, and only awakened later that evening. He rubbed his eyes, but was distracted halfway by a drop of black ink on the back of his hand.

His soulmate had drawn a little 3 x 3 grid, and placed a little X in the top left hand corner. Mush reached into his pocket and took out a blue pen, drawing an O in the centre.

Mush had always done this with his soulmate. Small naughts and crosses games when they were bored or wanted company. It was a simple way to keep in contact, but not reveal too much. They talked about themselves sometimes, when one of them had a particularly interesting day, or the other had bought something funny.

His soulmate inked an X in the bottom right hand corner. Mush in the middle right. His soulmate middle left. Mush quickly stomping out his near-win with a bottom left. An X top left stopped his win diagonally, and from there the game was tied.

They’d played it so often it almost always was. They didn’t mind.

As Mush was setting up the next game, his soulmate scribbled something down underneath the last game.

_prize: 1 question_

Mush drew a small open mouthed smiley face beside his soulmate’s suggestion. His heart hammered in his chest. A step closer to his soulmate. He would answer his question, if he won. He wouldn’t have to hide behind the fear he was moving too fast for his soulmate. Silly little worries about knowing too much before you met that society had driven him to caution.

If his soulmate was ready to know more, then so was he.

This game, Mush won quickly, knowing exactly which tactics to use when he was serious. He wrote his question, he knew exactly what it would be.

_What colour are your eyes?_

Little did Mush know, his soulmate almost scribbled out the plural. It took longer than Mush expected for them to finally reply, and Mush panicked over whether he had said something wrong.

Maybe that was too deep.

Damnit Mush.

_Green._

His soulmate set up another, and won.

_What colour are yours?_

_Brown._

Over the next few nights, they had similar conversations. They learnt of their interests and hobbies, little details and preferences. Mush was overbearingly adorable, his soulmate gorgeous and sweet. They worked well together.

Mush spent hours imagining his soulmate, he was noticeably happier, more energy in his step, his speech just that bit faster. Blink was the same, and blamed Mush’s mood on his being infectious. Their neighbours could only guess what had got into them. They sat and talked for hours about their new life. Mush had moved from a dodgy family to start his transition. Blink had moved to travel and experience city life.

They spoke of Mush’s roommates and the university nearby, the park and the cafe, their families, their siblings.

Mush spoke of very broad ideas with his soulmate and specifics with Blink, so nothing was ever pinned enough to determine their likeness. But he couldn’t help the warm flutter in his chest at the thought that they were the same person. He didn’t ask or try to find out, he decided he owed it to his soulmate not to guess around.

If it wasn’t Blink? He didn’t want to be disappointed, for himself and for his soulmate. He couldn’t imagine what that must feel like, your soulmate being disappointed that it was you. So, he let it be, and so did Blink.

Still, Blink acted strange, like he knew something and wasn’t letting on.

On Friday, the night before the rest of their flatmates arrived, the night before the party, Mush won another game. They had been playing triple the amount they used to.

_Sweet or sour?_

_Sweet_

Blink set up the next game, and won.

_Tea or coffee?_

_Tea_

Just as Mush set up the next, Blink wrote underneath it.

_prize: 1 request_

Mush was unsure. What kind of request his soulmate could possible have? He lost, and if it was on purpose he didn’t let his soulmate know.

_Go on a date with me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Blush??
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed the chapter! Or if you just want to go to Mush's T Party


End file.
